Two-time Juno Award winner Dan Mangan has come through with another fantastic album, Being Somewhere—the sixth in a steadily rising line of fantastic modern folk. The magic of Mangan’s work is that he speaks of stark reality and the impermanence of life, using what can only be described as beautiful music that somehow lifts the listener’s spirit instead of darkening it. “In Your Corner (For Scott Hutchinson)” is a heartfelt tribute to the former frontman of Frightened Rabbit, who passed away in 2018, and is a prime example of Mangan’s ability to elicit emotion through song. “All My People” has a perfect balance of traditional and modern elements, and “Fire Escape” walks us through an artistic masterpiece about battling our inner thoughts. Being Somewhere is exactly what anyone should expect from Dan Mangan—more excellence. If you don’t already know Mangan’s work, you can start here and be just as enriched as a regular listener. And if you have been listening, I don’t know how you can be anything but impressed.

-Jamie Varga

5/5